'Game of Thrones' showrunners sign on for two more seasons -- EXCLUSIVE

Another sign that Game of Thrones is going to be around for awhile: HBO has made a deal with David Benioff and Dan Weiss to continue as showrunners for two more seasons.

The fantasy hit writer-producers (and, in recent years, directors) originated the project at HBO and have garnered Emmy nominations and acclaim for shepherding the hugely complex drama series based on George R.R. Martin’s bestselling novels.

The new deal keeps “the Ds” on the show through a presumed season six. Though HBO has not yet officially renewed the show for a fifth year, Thrones is the premium cable network’s most-watched series (averaging 14.3 million viewers last season across all the network’s platforms) and is second only to The Sopranos as its most popular show of all time. Recently the producers told EW they suspectThrones will conclude after seven seasons.

HBO programming president Michael Lombardo has often praised the duo’s handling of the series, and recently commented to EW about their writing skills: “I’ve read a lot of scripts. David and Dan are not just good, they are exceptional writers. Their scripts are as dazzling as anything I’ve ever read.”